


Curiosity killed the cat

by Kinns



Series: Pogmann'ce ENG [3]
Category: Men's Football RPF
Genre: Antoine feels unconfortable, Established Antoine Griezmann/Paul Pogba, Everyone accepts Pogmann, FIFA World Cup 2018, Kylian is too curious, M/M, Protective Paul
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-23
Updated: 2018-11-23
Packaged: 2019-08-28 04:12:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16716392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kinns/pseuds/Kinns
Summary: “Are they dating or something like that?”Because let's be honest, their relationship is completely beyond him. Oddly, they all hear his question, keep quiet and then return to their discussion without answering him.Again. What's going on between Antoine and Paul?





	Curiosity killed the cat

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone!  
> So yeah basically I just forget to translate this one... I think there are remaining english mistakes, but I tried my best :/  
> Paul speaks English in Man U and Antoine Spanish in Atlético, so I just translate what he says in english, in french because... It's logical, right?  
> Enjoy!

There is a huge difference between knowing that we will integrate the national team and really living it.

 

Emotionally, Kylian's so ready to meet these guys, he cannot wait to shake their hands and he's so impatient that he gets to the training facilities as soon as possible to prepare for the 2018 World Cup. He's ready to join the elite and to show that he is competent despite his age, he hopes they will not do him dirty tricks.

Everything is going well, almost everyone is there and has welcomed him, no low shot, quite the opposite. The jokes are not bad, and he does not have to complain in all honesty. The official training has not started yet, they arrive in the drip as and days to get used to each other and train together.

Kylian has arrived on Tuesday, during the unofficial week, it's already Sunday and two people are still missing. They are in the common room to eat and play the Play, which he has been doing for thirty past minutes with Samuel (Samuel _Umtiti_ shit!).

“Here they aaaare!”

The voice resonates with a powerful and contagious laugh. Kylian turns to see the undiscovered Pogba (like, the _real Paul Pogba!_ ). Come and take his brothers in the field in his arms with laughter and jokes that make them laugh. Arrived in front of Antoine, the two of them look at each other before hugging each other with an unmitigated urgency and Blaise jumps on them, followed by the other members of the team shouting.

They all separate when Hugo as a good captain arrives to greet them. If everyone keeps a certain distance from each other while Paul starts telling nonsense, only Antoine shares his personal space.

 

* * *

 

It's been two weeks since they all train together when Kylian realizes that something is wrong, and he feels like he's the only one to notice. Well, he just arrived on the team, that's probably why he notices things while others have had time to take for granted, but ...

“Grizou ¿Sabes dónde está Paul? It's up to him to play.”

That's it: as soon as Paul goes missing, they all ask Antoine where he is and vice versa.

Antoine raises the head of the video that Thomas shows him. Raphael, Dembélé and Kylian play at the Xbox in the common room while the other two make background noise. A little further, others play cards or eat.

“Have you looked in your ass?” He answers with an innocent smile.

At first, Kylian really thought that Antoine was as innocent and candid as the rumors and the fans thought, but this mirage is far behind him. Reality is a long way off: under his grand air like a little prince, he is a merry and sarcastic idiot. He is kind and friendly, but has a lot of spread, which surprises a lot.

"Funny, he's in yours usually," Raphael replies.

They are all laughing at this reflection and Antoine's grin increases to that

“How do you want me to know? Just call him,” he says with a laugh.

After that, the striker continues to watch Thomas' video, while Raph takes his cell phone out of his pocket. Ousmane recovers the joystick in his hands while laughing. Kylian lost 2 to 1, it could be worse...

“Who cares, that’s his loss.”

 

* * *

 

Usually, after the afternoon training, they have free time and spend their evening as everyone wants. It’s when they leave the showers (for those who take it at this time) that they start to sing loud and say bullshit, then will be stretched by the team of physiotherapists, before heading to the canteen to eat together or with a large part of the team. After that, they stay in the common room to play until 9 pm, then go up to their rooms to 'rest' but the extinction of the lights is at 11pm.

If at first Kylian did not pay attention and was mainly focused on being really integrated into the team, he finally noticed that Paul and Antoine have their place. Well, the first arrived to sit at the end of the table and the next ones are next, so on. On the one hand, it is rare that Paul and Antoine do not arrive together, but when it does happen, the other players arrange for the duo to eat in front or next to each other.

When Kylian told Mendy, he laughed and told him to focus on the game. He lost 3 - 0 dammit.

 

* * *

 

Presnel likes him since they're in the same club and treats him like a kid because that he's nineteen, when he's just three years older than him, that's fine. Like if Olivier was making fun about his age and treated him as a child, he _might_ accept it. But Kimpembe? This guy just wants to annoy him.

While they walk around in the corridors, they meet a freshly showered and changed Antoine.

“Yo Anto,” Presnel greets.

“I’ve a movie party with Paul, do you want to join?”

Presnel laughs and crosses his arms: “No, we don’t want to mess your date up.”

Antoine laughs.

“It's your head that I'm going to mess up if you keep saying crap. Raph chooses the movie and Paul goes to get some popcorn, if you want.”

“First I have to put the baby to bed, maybe after.”

Presnel puts his hand on Kylian's head as he says this bullshit, but Kylian's reaction is quick:

"Fuck off," he says, laughing.

“Come on, let’s go my baby, I drop you at Lucas’ to get your ass beat up at Fifa.”

“Man, come on, I won yesterday.”

“Such a lucky boy.”

“What do you mean? I'm too strong, that's it.”

Antoine laughs when he hears his answer, then replies: “Like you want. I'll help Paul for the popcorns, we'll start soon.”

After that, he leaves and Presnel puts an arm over his shoulders to guide him to the stairs from which they come. Kylian asks him what's going on between Antoine and Paul, but Presnel makes fun of him at Fifa so much that he drops the subject.

 

* * *

 

Benji, Lucas, Ousmane and Kylian are the youngest, so they try to stick together when the big guys tease them. Because of his outspokenness and be in the same team as Antoine and Thomas in Atlético, Lucas had no trouble integrating. Ousmane arrived a year before them and became friends with Blaise and Presnel thanks to PSG. Benji may be shy and impressionable even if in confidence, he doesn’t fear the opposition.

Once again, they got pranked and went as the last ones for the physiotherapists. After showering in their room and changing to more comfortable outfits, they head for the canteen to have something warm. To go, they pass the common room and Kylian stops seeing two people sitting in beanbags back to them and joking noisily. Paul and Antoine, to change.

“Donatello, keep moving I'm hungry,” Lucas shouts further.

Eternal curious, Ousmane comes to see what has stopped him before pushing him forward.

“Eavesdropping is rude,” the Barça player laughs.

"I dropped nothing," he answers naturally.

“Don’t play smart ass.”

“What's going on between them?”

Ousmane laughs as they finally reach the others, without answering him.

“None of your business. The last one has to get the water!”

And this cheater runs off before everyone else. Benji loses the improvised race and the forwards makes fun of the defenders.

 

* * *

 

Saturday afternoon is usually lighter than other days and Didier is less on their backs. In fact, it's so calm that Presnel or Paul brings their speaker to put some music on the field and create a good atmosphere. Kylian loves Saturday.

At the end of the training, everyone leaves the pitch to get stretched or for a well-deserved shower. Kylian looks some stupidities with Benji, or _Jeff_ as they call him recently, waiting for his turn. When he finishes his session, he passes in front of the training ground with Olivier and Mendy, all the three of them stop when they see Antoine and Paul having fun doing various shots in goal.

“Oh Paul!" the eldest shouts. "It's not the right place for a private _date_!”

The Manchester United midfielder shows them his middle finger despite his hilarity. Both players leave with a laugh, while Kylian follows them pensively. What is this story again?

 

* * *

 

In the early evening, he still jokes with Hugo, Alphonse, Samuel, Benji, Presnel and Mendy although they’ve finished eating, when Paul and Antoine finally arrive laughing.

“You finally finished touching each other?” Samuel asks.

“You should try it sometime, it will make you lose your virginity!” Antoine counters back, sarcastically.

The whole table laughs at Samuel and Mendy slaps his back in false support. Kylian takes the opportunity to ask the question that has been bothering him for a while:

“Are they dating or something like that?”

Because let's be honest, their relationship is completely beyond him. Oddly, they all hear his question, keep quiet and then return to their discussion without answering him. _Again_. What's going on between Antoine and Paul?

“What are you talking about?” Paul asks, sitting next to Benji.

This is obviously the starting signal, since almost the whole group gets up and flees except Hugo and Alphonse. Out of the question that he faces the duo alone, Kylian follows the others and takes the tangent.

“What’s wrong with them?” Antoine wants to know, surprised. “They cried on themselves or what?”

"Something like that, I guess," the captain answers, shrugging.

 

* * *

 

Kylian is determined to have answers to his questions. The only people who can answer him are those who were there when Antoine joined the team, the others did not have to ask questions about their dubious proximity.

The most apt to answer him are Hugo Lloris, Alphonse Areola, Blaise Matuidi, Steve Mandanda, Raphael Varane, Adil Rami, Olivier Giroud and Nabil Fekir. _Eight people, six_ with whom he does not smitten with; he is not out of the woods. These eight guys dare to joke about the relationship between Paul and Antoine in front of the concerned without much harm, while Kim, Mendy, Dembélé, and Samuel do it with more reserve and less often. The latest arrivals like Corentin, Lucas, Benji or him are not yet entitled to this privilege and avoid the subject that can annoy. The others simply avoid making this kind of joke, even if the subject has already come back several times.

Ladies and gentlemen, Sherlock Kylian is in the place. Kylian Holmes, maybe? Sherlock Kylian Holmes? Arh, you get it.

 

* * *

 

The month of May is already well underway, and the weather is really disgusting. The storm sounds in the middle of the night and wakes Kylian up despite his closed window. So annoying. A little groggy, he gets out of bed and leaves his room, decided to take a ride to change his mind and get tired. While yawning, his cell phone in his pocket and slow, Kylian walks to the kitchen to eat something. No lights are switch on in the hallways, except for those to indicate emergency exits and stairs.

The silence and the calm environment change the pace of this place that he is used to seeing much more animated. From the beginning of the evening, when they must go up, all the doors are wide open and they all move freely from one place to another shouting and laughing, music coming from all sides. Now everything is closed, a sign of a deep sleep, which contrasts with the screams when they run after each other for a joke or revenge.

As discreet as possible, so as not to make noises in this peaceful setting, Kylian accesses the second floor, where are the canteen, common room and kitchen. As he gets closer, he finally perceives voices that are unknown to him but that prove that someone is already there. When he passes his head in the door-frame, he sees Paul juggling oranges and hears... Antoine’s laugh? What are they still doing there?

“Ouais ! Rigolant and souriant, c’est mon trésor !”

“No te entiendo, lo sabes. ¿Por qué no vienes conmigo?”

“Bois ton chocolat chaud déjà, j'l’ai pas fait pour que tu le regardes. Et pas de mercis, qui m’a donné un ingrat pareil comme compagnon ?”

Antoine laughs again, while Kylian goes away without understanding. He speaks English and Spanish just like everyone else, but he does not understand when two bilinguals speak so fast and with the accent. He had trouble understanding that Paul was speaking English at first, and then the Hispanic answer made it even more of a rout.

Kylian is too tired to try to conduct his investigation, he will continue tomorrow in the presence of some French.

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Kylian does not lose his way: his jog over, he gets with Raphael, one of the only to know what happens between Paul and Antoine, and the closest in age. Usually, Raph and Lucas are together, but the later can go with Kimpembe a bit, like that he will leave him alone.

"It's rare that you do not go with Ousmane or Ben," Raph remarks.

He throws him a ball anyway, so he accepts him. The other pairs are formed, although some are always identical.

“They are quite annoying right now and it feels good to change, to be with other people. “

“Yeah ... Must say that to Pogba and Grizou!” He cries out to those concerned.

Paul, who is not even three meters away from them, comes trotting up and jumps on him laughing, while Antoine gets closer with a smile. They are in good shape for people who have been awake in the night...

“What are you saying?” the brunet begins.

“Nothing, Donatello said it was good to change partners, I just approved, right?”

Raphael gives him an exaggerated wink when he laughs, and his heart falls in his stomach: did he break through it? Antoine and Paul look at him with a funny look, before looking at each other, then finally he comes down the back of the defender.

“Ha, but you want your Pog-dose, right? Must have said sooner Donatello ...”

 _What?_ Then the big one comes towards him with his arms wide apart as the star he is to take him in his arms, but Kylian goes away laughing.

“What are you doing?”

“I give you your Pog-dose, you know what they say: once you taste it, you cannot do without it.”

Raphael laughs and says something like "¡Antoine está ahí para te confirmarlo!” Antoine replies, "Cállate, Rafael.” Trying to hit him gently. Pogba reacts immediately by turning to them:

“Hey, no conspiracy in Spanish!”

“Esta el!” They accuse each other.

“Nah, I don’t wanna know. Raph, I leave _mon partenaire_ with you, you better pay attention. Come on, Donatello!”

Paul takes the ball he has on the feet and the ride without much harm, but Kylian does not let himself be led. Too caught in the game, he does not notice the low whispers between Raphael and Antoine in Spanish.

 

* * *

 

Approaching Raphael did not work, and he has already tried Olivier, who just sent him away. He sees Alphonse every day in Paris, but the guy turns a deaf ear every time he tries this topic. He definitively not going to ask Adil, Nabil or Hugo, maybe Blaise will tell him something? They get along well in Paris, there's no reason he does not talk, right?

All he has to do is to bring the subject smoothly ...

No need to look far, because arriving from the common room with Ousmane, shouts from Paul's room resonate. Neither one nor two, they are already throwing themselves at the foot of the bed Man U’s player, next to Antoine who is laughing and looks a little too comfortable. Paul, Antoine, Blaise and Mendy play the switch together and obviously, it is the brunet who is in the lead, given his proud laugh.

“What are you playing at?”

“Mario Kart,” he replies with a smile. “I'm soundly beating their asses, they're so bad.”

“Knock it off!”

Paul laughs while Blaise gets upset. At the end of the race the score falls: Antoine, Paul, followed by Mendy and Blaise. The latter throws the switch on the bed, that Ousmane recovers decided to replace him, then leaves the room. Kylian laughs as he follows him.

“Wanna play Xbox?”

“Yeah, these cheaters piss me off. Paul and Antoine always team up as soon as they can, it's annoying.”

“Oh yes?” Kylian fakes his surprise.

As if he was spitting on free info.

“Yeah. As soon as they cross each other, they fight together against the others.”

“I didn’t realize though.”

Always preach the wrong to have the truth, as his mother often says. Blaise laughs, then answers:

“You kidding? Since Antoine joined the team, they are always together.”

“They are together, _together_?”

Blaise frowns and closes himself; shit he played his cards badly.

“What do you mean by that?”

Aboard the mission! This is not an exercise, I repeat: aboard the mission!

“I dunno? Shouldn’t we play Xbox?”

“No, I've to see Hugo. There are Kim and Lucas playing in a room, I think.”

“Okay. See you around.”

After a suspicious look, Blaise goes into the goalkeeper’s room and closes the door. It's not like Kylian planned to eavesdrop, not at all. Fuck.

 

 

Well, plan B: get close to the second line, namely Presnel, Mendy, and Samuel. Presnel has the bad habit of always changing the subject, he will get nothing from him; Mendy eludes or ignores his questions, while Samuel usually pretends not to hear him, of course.

Plan C: get closer to those who arrived shortly after Antoine, namely Ousmane, N'Golo, Benjamin more commonly nicknamed _Jeff_ , and Thomas. Ousmane has already told him to mind his ass, so he will tell him nothing. The other guys on the other hand ...

Come on, Sherlock Kylian is back!

 

* * *

 

The next morning, as usual Kylian arrives among the first for breakfast with Benjamin P. Well, he went to wake him up to get revenge for the day before and not to arrive alone.

“Oh, Paul is not here yet,” Benji remarks.

“He always comes with the last ones, right?”

“Yes, but Antoine’s here and they come in pairs, you know?”

Kylian looks at him smiling: “You also noticed?”

“Yeah, it's pretty hard to miss...”

“You know if something is going on between them?”

Benji coughs to clear his throat when they arrive at the plateaus: “If you want my opinion, you shouldn’t mind their business...”

“I’m not, I'm curious.”

“No, that too you shouldn’t.”

They sit at the table with Antoine, Lucas, and Ousmane, who were speaking Spanish until they arrived. Not surprisingly, the place next to Antoine is available...

 

About twenty minutes later, Blaise and Paul arrive together, seeming to talk seriously for once and Kylian is not crazy, it's him they're staring at. He looks at them while they get their breakfast, Paul stops moving forward to send a text, then continues to take what he wants, while Antoine's phone vibrates. _What a coincidence_. After that, the two men arrive by communicating Italian and Blaise settles next to Antoine, while Paul gets in front of him.

You want Kylian Holmes’ opinion? Blaise snitched.

 

* * *

 

Only Thomas and N'Golo remain. Well, it was the plan until he saw Paul give instructions _in English_ to Kanté, and later in the field, Antoine and Olivier take Thomas sandwich to tell him something, before trotting faster.

"I told you to mind your damn ass," Ousmane says, coming to warm up with him.

“But…”

“ _No buts_. Seriously man, I dunno what you're doing, but stop it. Paul is not very happy even if he doesn’t show it yet. Moreover, Presnel and I have to take your defence, try to help us.”

Kylian just wanted answers, was it too much?

“Yeah, I understood.”

He understood what Dembélé said, he never said he would stop searching.

 

It is in the evening after the trainings that he realizes Paul‘s state of mind, when he sees him talking (arguing?) with Hugo in the corridors. Kylian has showered in his bedroom and takes the path for the canteen when he hears them speaking in English:

“Tu dois lui parler capitaine, ou je le ferai et personne ne va aimer ça.”

“Paul, tu exagères, c’est juste un enfant. Tu devrais la jouer cool.”

“Non, je ne peux pas quand ça met mon gars mal à l’aise ! T’as intérêt à faire quelque chose à propos de lui, je ne vais pas plaisanter avec lui.”

Hugo sighs wearily.

“Tu es puéril, Paul. C’est un _gosse_ , de quoi as-tu si peur ?”

“Qu’il balance.”

“Il ne le fera pas. Je te promets de m’en occuper.”

This time it is Paul who is almost relieved, while Hugo puts a hand on his back. What could he talk about? If Hugo's English is slow and understandable, Paul's is fast, unclear and familiar. They exchange a few more sentences, then advance to the common room. Since when are they arguing and more importantly, _what were they talking about_?

 

* * *

 

 

The day of departure for Russia has finally arrived and Kylian is among the first lads ready with Lucas, Corentin, Adil, Nabil, Steve, Flo, Thomas, Hugo, N'Golo, Alphonse and some staff members. All the others have not finished packing or are not yet awake. Kylian waits in the common room, barely awake and listens to music on his phone waiting to get on the bus. He bitterly regrets having played late with Benji...

Benji who has just arrived with Ousmane, both as out of step with him. It's reassuring to see them in the same state, casually. His two friends drop on the sofa by his side and Ousmane does not hesitate to lay on his shoulder to rest again. Well, it’s only five in the morning...

The coach arrives with his things and Kylian knows that it's going to heat up for the latecomers... After greeting everyone with a handshake, he lets go: 

“The bus arrives in twenty minutes, where are the others?”

“Third floor,” Hugo answers, the bravest. Or the most used to Didier? Or because he's the captain? Kylian is not sure of his choice yet.

“Get your things in the lobby, you will wait there, I will make some calls. Hugo, you guide the team. Kylian and N'Golo, go get the others.”

Kylian has seen _Paul Pogba_ get snubbed by Didier, not even in his wildest dreams he will complain or go against his orders. He acquiesces, gets up at the same time as Kanté, without warning Ousmane who fell asleep and laughs when he hears him moan with discontent.

“Benji, can you take my suitcase, please?”

"No worries," the curly boy replies, sitting up lazily.

“Thank you, mate.”

The two young men climb up one floor to find the eight-missing people: Olivier, Raphael, Paul, Blaise, Antoine, Samuel, Mendy and Presnel. Five doors out of eight are open and prove that people are awake, for the rest... Knowing Kanté and his overdeveloped kindness, it may be better that he wakes the sleepers up.

“I'll handle Presko, Mendy and Samuel,” he announces going to the first door.

He does not hesitate and opens Samuel's room on the fly. He was about to shout "Wake up!” But does not do anything when he sees the young man tidying his things, absolutely not in the morning and not awake. He cannot help laughing when he crosses his frowning eyebrows.

“Move your ass, the bus arrives in fifteen minutes, coach’s words.”

Umtiti answers something that must look like an approximate "yeah", but Kylian is already going to the second door he is hard at.

“Mendy! Wake up!”

“I am here, kiddo!”

Kylian pokes his head into Blaise's room and notices with surprise that Ben is on his cell phone, waiting for the midfielder to finish his business.

“The bus arrives in fifteen minutes; the other guys are already downstairs.”

Blaise laughs while brushing his hair in front of his mirror: “Which guys? There is still almost everyone upstairs.”

“And the bus does not leave without us anyway,” Mendy adds. 

Which is far from being false. Kylian lets them finish getting ready and opens the last closed door, Presnel's room, which is plunged into darkness. Ooh, the poor guy is still sleeping... Kylian is going to piss him off.

The camera activated with the flash, he lies down next to Presnel filming his head.

“Kim!”

The defender gasps for the scream and wakes up, under Kylian’s laughter. As he emerges quickly, he easily understands his teammate's hilarity and pushes him grimly.

“Hahaha move your ass, we're leaving soon!”

"Get off my bed," Presnel says, turning his head.

Kylian looks at him with a fake sympathetic look: “I’ll send this video to Julian.”

"Piss off," Presnel snarls, putting his back to him.

“Come on, you have fifteen minutes to get ready!”

Kylian gets off the bed jumping on it to be sure to have bothered Presnel as much as possible; he will regret it, but it will be for later.

Well, other than that, Kanté has fallen into the trap and finds himself helping Giroud to tidy up his merry mess, while Raphael makes fun of them. Only two rooms are open: Paul and Antoine. Kylian walks towards the blonde's room to see that he has already packed up. Kylian does not even ask himself the question: he must be at Paul's.

Bingo. Kylian is not surprised to see him slumped on Paul's bed, waiting for him to finish his hair. They speak English and Spanish, the usual. Kylian announces his presence by knocking and draws on him two scrutinizing and suspicious looks.

“The bus arrives in fifteen minutes; the coach wants everyone downstairs.”

"Did you hear it, Paul? Stop doing your hair and put your fucking hair under a hat.”

“No, _I_ _heard_ Donatello say, ‘Grizou, get your fat ass off my bed and get down the baggage’."

“Tu sais que tu l’aimes pourtant.”

Paul laughs but does not comment on the quick answer. Kylian is too scared to understand what he said, he still prefers to see how Samuel is doing.

* * *

 

The trip on the bus is done in an unfeigned calm, all still tired of their night too short, despite the few bursts of voices that resonate. Kylian got on with Benji, while Ousmane and Mendy joked behind them. Presnel settled alone against the window to rest, like many others. In the background, Kylian saw Paul and Antoine sit next to him and if he gets up, he is sure to see them asleep one against the other.

"You should stop thinking about that," Pavard whispers.

“What do you mean?”

“You know, if you want the team to trust you, you should stop trying to understand everything and just ... accept what's going on?”

“I don’t understand.”

Kylian does not understand what he meant. Benji shrugs, closing his eyes.

“Don’t worry, you will.”

* * *

The flight lasts ten hours, but almost everyone is resting during the first six, Kylian only needed four to be in good shape again. Mendy sleeps beside without making any noise, he can watch the films offered without being disturbed.

From the corner of his eye, he sees Antoine get up and look at him, while heading for the toilet. Or to Paul's seat, your choice. The reflection of the screen allows him to understand that he went to see his best friend to wake him up and tell him shit. Blaise easily leaves his place to Antoine and settles with Thomas.

Maybe an hour before landing, everyone is awake and Presnel put his background music to motivate the troops; immediate effect. They laugh, play, snapchat, dance and sing loudly. An atmosphere like Kylian likes them.

Much later when they set foot in their hotel, they are surprised by the luxury and _especially_ the ultra-stylish graphs that have been painted on each door to tell who owns what. Kylian is super impressed by the work done, no doubt about it.

 

* * *

 

 

The next day they have free time to discover the city a little, adjust their internal clocks and acclimatize to a country they have not heard that good. If Kylian stays with Mendy at the hotel, Presnel and Lucas decide to go out for a walk. Some go down to kick the ball, while a good part went to rest to recover forces. Unsurprisingly, Antoine _and_ Paul stay in their rooms and arrive about the same time for mealtime; With jokes in every way and their challenges, Kylian almost missed their entries.

 

In the late evening, Kylian is left alone with Kimpembe to play cards since the others went to bed. They should not be too late either, due to the time...

“Have you seen Julian today?” He asks innocently.

Kim gives him a distracted look, then sighs.

“No, but I sent him a message as soon as I got the Wi-Fi from the hotel. He is fine…”

“At least we don’t have to beat his team, it's already that.”

“Yes. I'm thinking of going to see him tomorrow to make fun of him.”

Kylian laughs on hearing it; that's the way Kim has to say that he misses his boyfriend. Honestly, he does not care that his friend is infatuated with a guy older than them, but it's so funny to joke on it.

“Kyky, what are you doing with Paul and Antoine?”

“What do you mean?”

Kylian gives him the most innocent look he has in stock (and he has a bunch of it) to soften him, but Presnel only craves for Julian's beautiful eyes.

“You look like you're looking for troubles by exposing them, whereas you don’t care about Julian.”

“Well... I don’t care as well...”

_No?_

Kimpembe sighs, then stands up and tells him to be careful how he acts. Kylian gets up as well and they walk together to their bedroom, Presnel on his cell phone, smiling like the half-hearted he is, and plunged in his thoughts.

When they arrive, they are surprised to see Hugo's door wide open. This is probably the only door that is always closed, whether the goalkeeper is inside or not; it's never open unless someone has come to annoy him. They want to overtake it, but he stops them:

“Kylian, wait!”

Or more like, stops him. The striker turns around in surprise, frowning at Kimpembe, but the latter shrugs and doesn’t wait for him (this traitor, false brother) to go lock himself in his room. Kylian moves towards him. Hugo got up from his bed to meet him and smiled at him in the most pleasant way possible.

Kylian spoke to him many times, but they were never just the two of them, what does he want to be?

“Yeah?” He asks.

“Listen, I say it to you because I want to the well-being of the team and to the group cohesion: stop minding Paul and Antoine.”

_Again? it's been two times in one evening!_

“I don’t,” he naively denies.

“Very well, if you want. Just tell me what's going to change in your life to know what's going on between Paul and Antoine.”

Truth to be told, Kylian just did not expect them to be so protected by his teammates. Nobody suspects the story between Presnel and Julian, he even ensures that others do not get too involved or covers them to avoid bad reactions. At first, he was not sure that something was going on between Antoine and Paul, then everyone was thinking about them and making fun of him, maybe he was just looking for a resemblance between his life at PSG and the National team…

To his surprise, all the members of the team seem to know, or suspect something and act like a family, real armour to protect the two men from this reality too mind-closed. And to say that it is he who has oppressed them lately.

“No, I just thought they were showing up, but you were pretending to see nothing, but it's cool if we all think the same.”

“We are a team, we are supposed to trust each other and accept each other without hesitation. In the field, it can destroy us and make us lose, thank you for being understanding.”

“No worries, captain.”

“Well. Glad we could talk. Good night Donatello.”

"Good night," he replies, laughing.

If he calls him by his nickname, it's because he must love him in the end. Good to know.

The night is short, but Kylian has never been so quiet since joining this dream team.

 

In the early morning, when Hugo arrives for breakfast, he is not surprised that Kylian broke the ice with Paul and Antoine, and that now they are laughing like long-time friends. In their current state of mind and harmony, he is certain that they will manage to win their second star, twenty years after the first.


End file.
